SafeBrowse Chrome Extension is embedded with Monero Miner just like PirateBay

The intrusive and extremely demanding behavior was seen almost immediately, as the addition Web Store page has filled up in the past few hours with contradictory reviews decrying the surge in CPU resource usage.

Looking at the SafeBrowse addition source code, anyone can quickly spot that its authors embedded the Coinhive JavaScript Miner, an in-browser implementation of the CryptoNight mining algorithm employed by CryptoNote-based currencies, such as Monero, Dashcoin, DarkNetCoin, and others.

The above code starts a method that runs at all times in the browser’s background and mines for Moner using the user’s devices, but for the profits of the SafeBrowse authors.Affected users enter anyone who installed the SafeBrowse extension. The version starring the Coinhive miner is 3.2.25. Chrome extensions use an auto-update system, so most SafeBrowse users will be renewed to this version in the following hours and days.

The addition of the Coinhive JavaScript Miner to SafeBrowse happens after The Pirate Bay experimented with the same technology as an option to showing ads on its site. Users who attended The Pirate Bay last Saturday did not see ads on the site, but the portal arranged a JavaScript file in their browsers that mined Monero for the torrent portal’s owners.

Experts tested the extension, and the Monero mining process is clearly visible in the Windows Task Manager and Resource Monitor applications, quickly driving up CPU resource usage shortly after installation.

The impact on our test machine was felt immediately. Task Manager itself froze and started a Not Responding state seconds after connecting the extension. The computer became sluggish, and the SafeBrowse Chrome extension advanced to mine Monero at all times when the Chrome browser was up and running.

It is no surprise that users reacted with vitriol on the extension’s review section. A Reddit user is currently trying to persuade other users to report SafeBrowse as malware to the Chrome Web Store admins.

I am a programmer and tech enthusiast who loves to use my creative skills to solve complex solutions. I also love to stay abreast of what is happening in the world of technology, reach me at: [email protected]

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Harikrishna Mekala

I am a programmer and tech enthusiast who loves to use my creative skills to solve complex solutions. I also love to stay abreast of what is happening in the world of technology, reach me at: [email protected]